SG is money-laundering hub

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MHA to strengthen laws to detect and prosecute money launderers more effectively: Shanmugam​

Five foreigners in the $3 billion money laundering case have been prosecuted under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Nadine Chua

May 09, 2024

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Home Affairs will be strengthening the law to enhance the authorities’ abilities to track down and prosecute money launderers.
This will be done through a Bill to amend the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (CDSA), which five foreigners in the $3 billion money laundering case have been prosecuted under so far.
The Bill will also allow sectoral regulators to access suspicious transaction reports filed by their regulated entities, to better detect money laundering activities.
Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said this in a written parliamentary reply on May 8 in response to a question by Progress Singapore Party Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai.
Mr Leong had asked if the sentences for offences under the CDSA have sufficiently deterred individuals from engaging in money laundering, and if the Government would consider strengthening the sentencing regime.
In response, Mr Shanmugam said that under the CDSA, offenders can be jailed from three to 10 years, fined between $150,000 and $500,000, or both. This depends on the nature of the money laundering offences, he said.
“This is similar to the penalties for other serious offences, like cheating and forgery. It is also comparable with the sentencing regimes in other jurisdictions such as Japan, Switzerland, New Zealand, Germany and France,” he added.

In August 2023, 10 foreigners were arrested in islandwide raids led by the Commercial Affairs Department, and over $3 billion in cash and assets have been seized in relation to the case.
In April, five of the 10 foreigners in the probe were handed jail terms ranging from 13 to 15 months.
Addressing this, Mr Shanmugam said: “So far, the sentences meted out by the Singapore Courts have been comparable to those in other jurisdictions.

“And, like other foreigners convicted of serious offences in Singapore, these offenders will be deported after serving their sentence and will be banned from re-entering Singapore.”
On May 6, Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen, both 32, were deported to Cambodia and will be barred from re-entering Singapore.
Mr Shanmugam said the CDSA, which was reviewed and updated twice in recent years, sets out a range of penalties.
The courts will then consider the appropriate penalties to be imposed, based on the specific facts of the case. These factors may include the amount of money laundered, the length of the offending conduct and the extent of the abuse of Singapore’s financial system.
Mr Shanmugam said that with respect to the money laundering case, the courts would have likely taken into consideration the offenders’ relatively early plea of guilt, which has saved public resources by avoiding long-drawn court processes. The courts would have also considered the foreigners’ agreement for most of the seized funds to be forfeited to the state.

All five men who have been sentenced so far have agreed to forfeit assets to the state.
Su Haijin, 41, forfeited assets worth around $165 million to the state, while Zhang Ruijin, 45, forfeited assets worth about $118 million. Su Baolin, 42, forfeited about $65 million, Wang Baosen surrendered assets worth around $8 million, and Su Wenqiang gave up assets worth more than $5.9 million.
Mr Shanmugam said the risk of imprisonment is an important deterrent against money laundering, adding: “Asset forfeiture is another crucial tool in our arsenal against white-collar crime, as it deprives criminals of their illicit proceeds, and hence acts as a deterrence to laundering their monies here.
“But the biggest deterrent of all, is the prospect of being caught.”
The minister said that globally, cases of money laundering are very difficult to uncover.
“There are not many cases as big as the $3 billion money laundering case, which was the result of extensive intelligence probes, and painstaking piecing together of disparate types of information,” he said.
“This is not because there are no such monies being laundered in other jurisdictions. Rather, criminals hide their tracks very carefully. We know this from our foreign law enforcement counterparts as well.”
He highlighted that the money laundering case has shown Singapore’s ability to detect suspicious individuals and activities.
“And once we become aware of them, we have the resolve and capabilities to track the criminals down,” he added.

On April 2, Cambodian national Su Wenqiang was sentenced to 13 months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering.
Cypriot national Su Haijin, who had jumped from the second-floor balcony of a good-class bungalow during a police raid, was sentenced to 14 months’ jail on April 4.
Chinese national Wang Baosen was sentenced to 13 months’ jail after pleading guilty on April 16 to two charges of money laundering.
On April 29, Cambodian national Su Baolin was sentenced to 14 months’ jail after admitting to three charges, including two for money laundering.
Chinese national Zhang Ruijin was on April 30 sentenced to 15 months’ jail – the highest jail term meted out in the case so far. He pleaded guilty to one money laundering charge and two forgery charges.
Of the five that have yet to be dealt with, two have had their dates set to plead guilty in court.
Vang Shuiming, 43, is expected to plead guilty on May 14, while Chen Qingyuan, 34, has a court date set on May 23 for him to admit to his charges.

 

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$3b money laundering case: Man gets jail, forfeits highest amount of assets seized​

Vang Shuiming was sentenced to 13 months and six weeks’ jail after pleading guilty to two counts of money laundering and one count of submitting a forged document to a bank. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA
Christine Tan and Wong Shiying

May 14, 2024, 11:23 PM

SINGAPORE – The accused in Singapore’s $3 billion money laundering case who faced the most number of charges has also forfeited the most amount of assets seized to the state.
Vang Shuiming, 43, was sentenced to 13 months and six weeks’ jail after pleading guilty on May 14 to two counts of money laundering and one count of submitting a forged document to a bank.
Nineteen other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Vang agreed to forfeit about $180 million of the more than $199 million worth of assets, cash, vehicles, properties and luxury items belonging to him and his wife which were seized by the police.
This is the highest amount forfeited by an accused person in this case, so far.
Five others convicted had forfeited between $5.9 million and $165 million in assets.
Vang forfeited about $122 million in bank, portfolio and wealth accounts, 15 properties worth $29.6 million in total, and three luxury cars – a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a Toyota Alphard and a Bentley Flying Spur – worth $3.38 million in all.

Other items include eight watches worth $17.4 million in total, from brands such as Patek Philippe, Richard Mille, Franck Muller and Chopard, and a Kawai crystal grand piano worth $240,000.
Also known as Wang Shuiming, the Turkish national who is originally from China is one of 10 foreigners arrested in a money laundering probe in August 2023 that saw more than $3 billion in cash and assets seized.
Vang faced 22 charges in total – four counts of money laundering and 18 counts of submitting forged financial documents to banks.

Deputy Public Prosecutor David Koh told the court that in 2021, Vang arranged for HK$229 million (S$39.6 million) to be remitted from Indonesia to his Citibank Singapore account.
When Citibank asked him about the source of these funds, Vang submitted documents through former Citibank employee Wang Qiming, claiming the money came from his own China Merchant Bank account.
However, Vang later admitted he had submitted a forged bank statement to Citibank. He did not actually have a China Merchant Bank account.
UOB Kay Hian and Swiss bank Bank Julius Baer & Co, whom Vang had accounts with, also queried him on his source of wealth.
Vang told them his money came from three companies in China, and provided financial statements from these firms to substantiate his claim.
These statements were all forged, said DPP Koh.

Vang’s money laundering charges state he had a total of about $2.4 million held in four bank accounts, purportedly benefits from criminal conduct.
He eventually admitted to the police that he used falsified books of accounts to move funds from overseas to Singapore.
After his arrest, Vang told the police that the source of his funds was his loan business in China – a claim he maintained in 18 statements.
He later said all the money came from gambling winnings and real estate investments in the Philippines.
DPP Koh noted that Vang had not substantiated his claim that the funds were indeed from the Philippines, and said he failed to account satisfactorily for how he came to possess the money.
The prosecution sought a total of 14 to 16 months’ imprisonment, while his defence lawyer Wendell Wong asked for 13 months.
Mr Wong said his client felt a profound sense of remorse and wanted to apologise to the court and to the Singapore Government.
Said Mr Wong: “He did not intend to cause harm to Singapore, Singaporeans or any persons in Singapore.
“Mr Vang’s hope is that in agreeing to forfeit (the) $180 million, it will go to some measure to restore any actual or perceived harm the justice system may feel he has committed.”
The lawyer added that Vang had brought his entire family to Singapore around five years ago, including his three children and elderly parents.

District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz said Vang’s offences disclose an entrenched and concerted effort to deceitfully legitimise funds and circumvent checks.
Said the judge: “I find myself unable to accept the defence’s curious and ultimately strained characterisation of Mr Vang as an individual who had not intended to cause any trouble in Singapore.”
Judge Sharmila added that Vang’s decision to surrender his assets is reflective of his contrition, and that she gave significant weight to this factor in sentencing.
Vang has been remanded for almost nine months since his arrest at a good class bungalow at Bishopsgate, near Orchard Road, on Aug 15, 2023. With one-third remission, he may be out of jail by early June.
Originally from Fujian province in China, Vang is wanted by the Chinese authorities for his involvement in the Heng Bo Bao Wang gambling syndicate uncovered in 2022.
His brother, Wang Shuiting, is allegedly an associate of the syndicate. The brothers are among nine members of the gang on the run from the Chinese authorities.
In a bail review hearing, Vang admitted to having more than $35.5 million worth of assets overseas. The judge who denied him bail said this shows he clearly has the means to relocate comfortably.
Vang is the sixth person in Singapore’s largest money laundering case to be convicted.
Su Wenqiang, Wang Baosen, Zhang Ruijin, Su Haijin and Su Baolin were sentenced to between 13 and 15 months’ jail in April.
Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen, both 32, were deported to Cambodia on May 6 after serving about 8½ months of their 13-month jail term.

The 10 suspects are (clockwise from top left) Su Baolin, Su Haijin, Chen Qingyuan, Su Wenqiang, Lin Baoying, Zhang Ruijin, Wang Dehai, Su Jianfeng, Vang Shuiming and Wang Baosen. ST ILLUSTRATIONS: CEL GULAPA
Their sentences were backdated to their date of arrest on Aug 15, 2023.
Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam said in a written parliamentary reply on May 8 that the convicted foreigners in the money laundering case will be deported after serving their sentence.
Nine of the 10 foreigners in the case, including Vang, have Cambodian citizenship.
Even after being deported to Cambodia after their release, they could possibly be extradited to China. Beijing has an extradition treaty with Phnom Penh, but not with Singapore.
The cases of the remaining four – Lin Baoying, Su Jianfeng, Wang Dehai and Chen Qingyuan – are pending. Chen is expected to plead guilty on May 23.

 

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Businessmen in S’pore placed on China’s wanted list weeks after money laundering raid in 2023​

Businessmen Su Shuiming (left) and Su Shuijun have been placed on the wanted list in China. PHOTO: ZHOUCUN, ZIBO CHINESE POLICE
Andrew Wong

May 16, 2024

SINGAPORE - Two businessmen living in Singapore since 2021 have been placed on the wanted list in China for their involvement in a cross-border online gambling syndicate.
Su Shuiming and Su Shuijun were first added to the list in September 2023, just weeks after the Commercial Affairs Department led a police operation that saw the arrest of 10 foreigners in a $3 billion money laundering case.
The investigative journalism group, Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), and The Straits Times learnt that the two men are among 74 suspects currently on the run from the authorities in China.
This is based on an updated notice in March from the Public Security Bureau in Zibo, China, which stated that the 74 suspects are staying abroad illegally.
According to the bureau, Su Shuiming and Su Shuijun are among the 74 people who were involved in an online gambling syndicate.
The men are also on a list of individuals with significant property holdings in Dubai, according to leaked records of property sales transactions that the OCCRP published on its website on May 14.
ST and OCCRP independently verified that both men purchased multiple units in Dubai.

Checks show that the men, who are not the only individuals wanted in China who lived in Singapore, are linked to each other and to several others in the money laundering case.
Five of the 10 foreigners arrested in the anti-money laundering operation in August 2023 were placed on China’s wanted list between 2017 and 2023 for their involvement in criminal activities, including online gambling.
When contacted, a Singapore Police Force spokesman declined to say if Su Shuiming and Su Shuijun are involved in or assisting with any investigations in the Republic.

Sprawling house​

Su Shuiming, who holds passports from Cambodia and Cyprus, is originally from China. While in Singapore, he lived in a sprawling house in Fourth Avenue in Bukit Timah.

Su Shuiming’s registered address at Fourth Avenue remains occupied by a man who claimed to be his employee. ST PHOTO: ANDREW WONG
When ST visited the residence on May 6, a man, who claimed Su Shuiming was his boss, came to the gate and said the foreign national took his family with him when he left Singapore. He declined to reveal the destination.
The home, which had four cars parked in the compound, is currently being looked after by two domestic helpers.
An avid golfer, Su Shuiming joined Sentosa Golf Club in November 2021.
Money laundering convicts Su Baolin and Zhang Ruijin, and accused Lin Baoying, Su Yongcan and Su Zigen also joined the club, where foreigners once had to pay $950,000 to be a member, that same month.

In response to queries from ST, a spokesman for the club said it is cooperating with the authorities on investigations and is unable to disclose any information on Su Shuiming.
Separately, Su Shuijun, who also holds passports from Cambodia and Cyprus, has been a member of the Seletar Golf Club since November 2022. The club did not respond to queries from ST.
Su Shuijun previously lived in a 27,000 sq ft good class bungalow (GCB) at Queen Astrid Park.
The GCB was emptied out when ST visited on May 6. Neighbours confirmed that a Su Shuijun had lived there for around two years.

Su Shuijun had lived in a good class bungalow at Queen Astrid Park, which has since been emptied out. ST PHOTO: ANDREW WONG
The neighbours, who did not want to be identified, said he moved out in February with his wife and two children.
Su Shuiming is listed as a director and shareholder of four companies in Singapore – Feifan Holdings, Hengxin Property Investment Management, Hong Sheng Property Investment Management and Quan Hui Technologies.
All except for Quan Hui Technologies are registered to his personal address in Fourth Avenue.
ST visited Quan Hui Technologies’ office in Temasek Boulevard on May 6, but found an immigration firm instead.

An immigration firm was in the Temasek Boulevard unit that was registered to Quan Hui Technologies. ST PHOTO: ANDREW WONG
An employee of the firm said she had not heard of Quan Hui Technologies, but added that it could have been a previous tenant.
She said the immigration firm moved into the office in October 2023.

Links to others​

Business records show Quan Hui Technologies is a “live” company. Bedok resident Wang Junjie, a naturalised Singaporean originally from Shanghai, was listed as the secretary of the firm until Dec 29, 2023.
Mr Wang, who held positions in nine companies linked to three of the convicts in the money laundering case, had his registration as a qualified individual cancelled by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority in January.

Su Shuijun is the shareholder and owner of three firms – Kaihang Property Investment Management, Mengyue Property Investment Management and Brilliance SG Investment.
Kaihang and Mengyue are registered to his Queen Astrid Park address.
ST visited Brilliance SG Investment’s office in Paya Lebar on May 6 and found Parkway Suites, a serviced office, at the address.

Parkway Suites was found at the Paya Lebar address of Brilliance SG Investment. ST PHOTO: ANDREW WONG
An employee said Parkway Suites provides office spaces or addresses that companies can use to register in Singapore.
Checks show Su Shuijun was a director and shareholder of Bosing Technologies until Sept 25, 2023. Mr Wang is still listed as the secretary of Bosing Technologies, a wholesaler of lighting and lighting accessories.
Su Shuiming and Su Shuijun are also linked to a Philippine national who is the director of seven firms registered to them.
She was made director of five of the firms on May 25, 2023, and the other two firms two days later on May 27.

ST visited her home in Bedok Reservoir three times between May 6 and May 9, but an occupant declined to answer any questions.
On May 14, a domestic helper said her employer had left for the Philippines a week earlier with her husband and their two children.
The helper said her employer continues to monitor the flat through cameras installed in the home.
Hong Kong business records verified by OCCRP and ST show Su Shuiming is a direct associate in more than 20 companies, and Su Shuijun is a direct associate in one firm.
Su Shuijun used a unit at Gramercy Park, a condominium in Grange Road, to register the company.
Su Haijin and Su Baolin’s wife, Ma Ning, also have units in the same estate.
Cypriot national Su Haijin was convicted of resisting arrest and money laundering in April, and sentenced to 14 months’ jail.
Cambodian national Su Baolin was sentenced that same month to 14 months’ jail after pleading guilty to three charges – two for money laundering and one for abetting false representations made to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.

 

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Data leak reveals links between money laundering accused Su Jianfeng and sale of Dubai properties​

Su Jianfeng (centre) at a ceremony alongside Fidu Properties owner Su Sihai (right) and COO Nazish Khan celebrating the opening of Fidu's office in 2019. PHOTO: FIDU PROPERTIES/FACEBOOK
Andrew Wong

May 17, 2024

SINGAPORE – Money laundering accused Su Jianfeng had allegedly worked with a Singapore-based businessman to sell properties in Dubai worth tens of millions to foreigners in Singapore, a data leak of property transactions showed.
The investors include individuals wanted in China, three people implicated in the $3 billion money laundering probe, others identified by the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) as their associates, and a China-born businessman who left Singapore abruptly amid the probe.
In total, they bought at least 126 properties worth more than 537 million dirhams (S$197 million).
This was verified with the use of official passport identification numbers and title deeds in the Dubai Land Registry. Only properties that have been fully verified were included in this report.
The properties were mostly marketed by Dubai real estate firm Fidu Property Real Estate Brokerage, which primarily targets buyers from China, and developed by Emaar Properties.
In 2022, the developer had a net asset value of US$37.6 billion (S$50.6 billion).
The property transactions were revealed in a data leak uncovered by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) investigative journalism group.

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The leak, titled Dubai Unlocked, was published by the non-governmental organisation on its website on May 14.
It revealed details of alleged money launderers around the world who own properties in Dubai worth hundreds of millions.
The data was obtained by the Centre for Advanced Defence Studies (C4ADS), a non-profit organisation based in Washington, DC that researches international crime and conflict.
It was then shared with Norwegian financial outlet E24 and the OCCRP, which coordinated an investigative project with dozens of media outlets from around the world, including The Straits Times.
ST, working with OCCRP, found links between Su Jianfeng and businessman Su Sihai. Both men are originally from China.
It showed that Su Jianfeng allegedly has a larger property holding in Dubai than what he had confessed to in Singapore, and may have played a bigger role in the real estate company he co-owns with Su Sihai.
Su Jianfeng was among the 10 foreigners arrested in the August 2023 anti-money laundering probe that saw the authorities take control of $3 billion in cash and assets.

He is currently facing four money laundering charges and eight counts of forgery in Singapore.
He was handed six forgery charges on May 16. Four of them relate to forged property sale contracts for five units in Dubai.
Su Jianfeng had allegedly submitted the forged documents to deceive banks into believing he had legitimate sources of wealth.
Checks against the leaked data showed he is the owner of at least three of the units mentioned in the charges.

Wanted in China​

Su Jianfeng (centre) at a ceremony alongside Fidu Properties owner Su Sihai (left) and COO Nazish Khan celebrating the opening of Fidu’s office in 2019. PHOTO: FIDU PROPERTIES/FACEBOOK
Fidu Property Real Estate Brokerage was incorporated in Dubai some time in November 2017. According to business records, Su Sihai has been the sole owner and director of the company since 2021.
The firm shares the same name as a company in Singapore – Fidu Properties, which is located at One Marina Boulevard.
Su Jianfeng went into a business partnership with Su Sihai in 2019, and later helped to incorporate Fidu Properties DMCC in Dubai that same year.
They are both board directors, each with 50 per cent ownership in the firm.
Su Jianfeng was a wanted man in China at the time. A notice by China’s Ministry of Public Security revealed that he was placed on the wanted list in 2017 for alleged links to an illegal gambling gang.
The same notice indicated that in 2015, the authorities were already investigating an online gambling case where Su Jianfeng, Wang Dehai, Su Wenqiang, Su Yongcan and Wang Huoqiang were named as major suspects.
They are all connected to the money laundering case in Singapore.
Su Wenqiang was convicted on two money laundering charges and deported to Cambodia on May 6, while Wang Dehai’s case is still ongoing.
Warrants of arrest and Interpol red notices have been issued against Su Yongcan and Wang Huoqiang for money laundering offences.
Despite being a wanted man, Su Jianfeng took part in public events in Dubai.

Su Jianfeng (centre) attending the Fidu Properties annual awards alongside owner of the firm Su Sihai and COO Nazish Khan in 2019. PHOTO: FIDU PROPERTIES/YOUTUBE
On Fidu Property Real Estate Brokerage’s social media channels on YouTube and Facebook, he can be seen taking part in the firm’s annual awards in 2019.
He told investigators he was a real estate agent in Dubai. However, in the videos, he can be seen cutting the ribbon at the opening of an office in 2019, a ceremonial role usually reserved for the guest of honour.
The leak suggests that Su Jianfeng may have been the middleman who helped individuals in Singapore, linked to the money laundering case, purchase properties in Dubai, largely between 2020 and 2022.
The bulk of the properties were luxury units marketed by Fidu Properties, including The Grand at Dubai Creek and Grande Downtown Dubai.
Two previously unknown Singapore-based business figures – Su Shuiming and Su Shuijun – own 11 units each at Grande Downtown that make up the entire 66th and 68th floors of the development.
They paid more than $31 million in total for the properties.
Su Shuiming and Su Shuijun were placed on China’s wanted list in September 2023 for their involvement in an online gambling syndicate. ST reported this on May 15.
Chen Mulin, one of their associates on the MinLaw list, bought the entire 67th floor of the same development.

Property agent​

The leak suggested that Su Jianfeng, a Vanuatu national, had purchased 30 properties in Dubai. ST and OCCRP could independently verify only 12 properties worth more than $21 million in total.
They include apartments at the Burj Khalifa, once the world’s tallest building, and a villa in District One Villas Phase Two, just minutes away from the Crystal Lagoon.

In Singapore, Su Jianfeng told police investigators he owned 11 “condominium rooms”, two offices and a villa worth a total of 30 million dirhams.
The 35-year-old claimed that he had used his commission as a property agent in Dubai to fund his local and overseas properties.
After his arrest, more than $231 million worth of assets belonging to him and his wife were seized or subjected to prohibition of disposal orders.
They include 13 properties in Singapore worth more than $115 million, four vehicles worth more than $4.7 million, $18.4 million in cash, $66 million in bank accounts and $26 million worth of cryptocurrency.
Cypriot national Su Haijin, who was convicted and sentenced to 14 months’ jail on April 4 after forfeiting about 95 per cent of his $174 million assets in Singapore, owns 11 properties in Dubai worth more than $15.4 million.
All 11 properties are located at Grande Downtown, making up the entire 58th floor. The project was marketed by Fidu Property Real Estate Brokerage.
In an affidavit submitted by the Commercial Affairs Department, which led the anti-money laundering probe, Su Haijin admitted to having several properties overseas worth more than $14 million.
However, there was no mention of property holdings in Dubai. He instead admitted to owning a condominium unit in Cambodia, three apartments in Cyprus, one property in Oxford Street in London, and five properties in Macau.
He was convicted on April 4 after pleading guilty to one charge of resisting arrest and two money laundering charges.

The 10 suspects in the $3 billion money laundering case (clockwise from top left): Su Baolin, Su Haijin, Chen Qingyuan, Su Wenqiang, Lin Baoying, Zhang Ruijin, Wang Dehai, Su Jianfeng, Vang Shuiming and Wang Baosen. ST ILLUSTRATIONS: CEL GULAPA
Lin Baoying, the only woman implicated in the money laundering case, owns a property in Dubai. The villa in The Meadows in Emirates Hills is worth around $9.5 million.
The Chinese national, who is facing two forgery charges and one count of perverting justice, had confessed to owning five properties worth more than $72 million in Singapore.
She also has six properties in Britain worth $10 million and a property in the Philippines worth $5.7 million.

Luxury units​

The data leak suggests that Su Jianfeng may have helped several others purchase properties in Dubai.
Cypriot national Chen Mulin owns 24 properties in Dubai, worth more than $28 million, at The Grand at Dubai Creek and at Grande Downtown.
Chen, who was identified by MinLaw as one of 24 known associates of the money launderers, shares his home address at Gramercy Park in Grange Road with Su Haijin and Su Baolin’s wife, Ma Ning.
Su Baolin, who faced 13 charges related to forgery, fraud and money laundering, was sentenced to 14 months’ jail in April, after forfeiting about $65 million, or 90 per cent of his seized assets.
Chen was listed as the director of Mulin Technologies, a software development firm, where another individual identified by MinLaw as an associate, Su Lihong, was a shareholder.
None of the associates has been charged with any offence.
The data leak showed that several other businessmen in Singapore bought properties in Dubai also marketed by Fidu Property Real Estate Brokerage.
They include Su Binghai, who is from China. The 34-year-old has at least two properties in Dubai, worth nearly $1.2 million in total.
In December 2023, ST revealed that he is a person of interest in the money laundering case. Su Binghai is close to Su Jianfeng, and they spent an overseas holiday together with their families in tow.
Su Binghai is the businessman who used his Singapore-registered firms to buy 10 shophouses for more than $100 million in 2023. He did this with another businessman, Su Fuxiang, who is also from China.
The firms were put into receivership in September 2023 after the owners failed to repay debts, and the shophouses were put on the market by DBS Bank some time in December 2023.

Su Binghai’s associate, Su Bingwang, is linked to 34 properties in Dubai, the data leak showed. ST and OCCRP verified sales transaction records for 30 of the properties, worth more than $28.7 million in total.
Su Binghai, Su Bingwang and Su Fuxiang left Singapore abruptly after the anti-money laundering raid. All three are understood to be persons of interest to the police in relation to the ongoing case.
The leak also showed that a businessman based in Cambodia, with links to Su Jianfeng, has at least 20 properties worth more than $36.7 million.
They include the entire 58th floor of The Grand at Dubai Creek, and a villa in the same estate as Su Jianfeng.
ST reported on the links in September 2023, and identified the businessman as CZ. The Cambodian national, who is originally from China, is also linked to money laundering accused Wang Dehai and Su Yongcan, a suspect in the case.

Su Sihai​

An archived page of Fidu Properties’ website in 2019, showing Su Sihai (front row, centre, in lighter suit) and Su Jianfeng (right of Su Sihai) along with the team at Fidu. PHOTO: FIDU PROPERTIES
Su Jianfeng’s partner, Su Sihai, is linked to six properties in Dubai. Four properties, worth more than $25 million, have been verified.
This includes a villa in the same location as properties owned by Su Jianfeng and CZ.
When ST visited Su Sihai’s home in Clementi on May 9, his maid answered the door and said her employer had not been in Singapore for around a year since leaving for Dubai.
Wearing a uniform with the word “Su” emblazoned on her shirt pocket, the maid said his wife and two children were at home but were too tired to talk.
Business records show that Su Sihai is a director of Foursea Wealth Holding and Foursea Family Office, both in Singapore.
ST visited the offices and found a corporate service provider at the registered addresses of Su Sihai’s companies at Duo Tower, which houses office towers, luxury residences and a five-star hotel.
An employee confirmed that Foursea Wealth Holding and Foursea Family Office are its clients. She also confirmed that Su Sihai is currently not in Singapore.

At Fidu Properties’ listed address at One Marina Boulevard, ST found cloud service provider EdgeNext. An employee said the company moved in some time in February 2023.
Fidu Properties remains active, according to company records.
The employee said the address was also previously used by Runyi Investment, whose business records show that it is owned by Su Jianfeng.
Fidu Properties lists Singaporean Goh Yu Siang as one of its directors. According to regulatory requirements, companies incorporated here must appoint at least one Singaporean as a director.
Checks showed that Mr Goh is also the director of DA Luxury, a company where Su Jianfeng was formerly a shareholder.
ST visited his home in Clementi on May 9 and May 14, but Mr Goh was not around.
Fidu Properties did not reply to queries by OCCRP and ST.
ST also contacted the United Arab Emirates’ Executive Office of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing to request an interview, but was referred to the Dubai police.
The Dubai police did not reply to ST’s requests.
The director-general of the anti-money laundering agency, Mr Hamid Al Zaabi, who was in Singapore in November 2023, had praised Singapore’s handling of the money laundering probe here, describing the operation as a case of global significance.
When asked by ST about links between the 10 implicated in the money laundering probe in Singapore and their links to property purchases in Dubai, Mr Al Zaabi said then that the Emirati authorities were taking it seriously.
“What I can say is that the Emirati authorities have a close cooperation with their Singaporean partners and will do their utmost to bring criminals to justice,” he said.
Mr Al Zaabi noted that as money laundering is typically done across jurisdictions, it is necessary to build international cooperation to deal with the problem.

 

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askST: Are sentences in $3 billion money laundering case short relative to the sums involved?​

The sentences of six of the 10 foreigners arrested in the $3 billion money laundering case have been the subject of public discussion. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Wong Shiying

May 19, 2024

SINGAPORE – Six of the 10 foreigners arrested in the $3 billion money laundering case were recently sentenced to between 13 and 15 months in jail after pleading guilty to their offences in court.
Their sentences have been the subject of public discussion, with some questioning if their jail terms are short relative to the millions of dollars laundered in the case.
Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen, both 32, were deported to Cambodia on May 6 and banned from re-entering Singapore. With one-third remission, they served two-thirds, or about 8½ months, of their 13-month jail term.
Su Haijin, 41, and Su Baolin, 42, who were each given 14 months’ jail, are likely to be released by end May. Zhang Ruijin, 45, who was handed 15 months’ jail – the highest jail term meted out so far – and Vang Shuiming, 42, who got 13 months and six weeks, will likely be out by June.
The cases of the remaining four suspects – Su Jianfeng, 36; Chen Qingyuan, 34; Wang Dehai, 35; and Lin Baoying, 44 – are pending.
The Straits Times spoke to legal experts and the lawyers who represented the suspects to understand the reasons behind their sentences.

1. Why did the prosecution ask for prison terms of between 12 and 16 months in the six cases?​

The prosecution said in its sentencing submissions that a suitably lengthy custodial sentence must be meted out to deter criminals from money laundering offences, as they can undermine Singapore’s reputation as a legitimate financial hub while allowing criminals to enjoy their ill-gotten gains.

The prosecution raised similar aggravating factors for all six suspects.
First, their offences have a transnational element, which makes it more difficult for law enforcement agencies to detect and arrest them.
Of the 10 arrested in August 2023 in the anti-money laundering operation, several were involved in illegal gambling businesses abroad and brought suspected criminal proceeds into Singapore.

The substantial sums laundered were another aggravating factor.
Zhang laundered the most money, at $36 million, part of which was suspected to be benefits from falsifying accounts of his business in China.

The prosecution used the case of Singaporean Juandi Pungot as a precedent to determine the length of jail terms sought for the money laundering offences in the $3 billion case.
Juandi was one of the masterminds of the $128 million oil heist from Shell Eastern Petroleum’s Pulau Bukom facility that took place between 2007 and 2018.
He was sentenced to 29 years’ jail in March 2022 for his role in the conspiracy to illegally transfer gas oil out of the facility onto various vessels and sell it at a price lower than its prevailing market value.
Juandi laundered about $3.4 million of the over $5.6 million he made from the scheme by spending it on local and overseas properties, foreign exchange trading, vehicles and investments.
He was sentenced to between 11 and 20 months’ jail for each of his 10 proceeded money laundering charges under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes Act (CDSA).
This range was used as a benchmark by the prosecution for the $3 billion money laundering case.
In Su Wenqiang’s case, the prosecution said the starting indicative sentence for each of his two money laundering charges should be between 18 and 20 months’ jail, as this was the sentence imposed for similar charges in Juandi’s case.
This was shortened to 12 to 15 months’ jail per charge for Su Wenqiang as his case was not as aggravating as Juandi’s in terms of the period of offending, the number of CDSA charges he faced, and the amounts involved in the charges.
A senior district judge sentenced Su Wenqiang to between 12 and 13 months’ jail for each of his money laundering charges.
The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, or at the same time, as they represent a single invasion of the same legally protected interest.

2. Are the sentences short relative to the sums laundered?​

Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam said in a written parliamentary reply on May 8 that the sentences meted out so far in the $3 billion money laundering case are comparable to those in other jurisdictions.
He added that the courts would have considered, among other factors, the suspects’ relatively early plea of guilt and their agreement to forfeit most of their funds to the state.
Mr Shanmugam said: “This has saved public resources by avoiding long-drawn court processes.”
He said the ministry will be tabling a Bill to amend the CDSA to enhance the abilities of law enforcement agencies to pursue and prosecute money launderers.

The Bill will also allow sectoral regulators to access suspicious transaction reports filed by their regulated entities, to better detect money laundering activities.
Defence lawyer Joyce Khoo, who represented Su Baolin, said the suspects’ willingness to forfeit the over $541.9 million in assets so far, among other things, helped to accelerate the investigation process and conclude their cases.
“Considering the number of charges they face and the huge sums involved, such cases can take a long time to investigate,” said the lawyer from Quahe Woo & Palmer.
Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau former director Soh Kee Hean told The Straits Times that fund tracing is challenging as the monies could have been laundered through a complex web of accounts and intermediaries before arriving in Singapore.
“The money could have been routed to and from other countries under the guise of fake investments and trading transactions, or broken up and recombined through shell companies and money mules,” said Associate Professor Soh, who teaches criminal investigation, public safety and security at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Prof Soh added that to get the full picture, the authorities would have to look into other parties involved, such as the suspects’ family members, nominee directors and accountants, which adds to the complexity of the matter.
“As the funds can easily flow across international boundaries, there are also legal issues to be managed,” he said.
Singapore Management University associate professor of law Eugene Tan said that while the sentences may appear to be light – given the sums of money involved – the suspects were not dealt with lightly.
He said: “After serving their time, the convicted individuals were deported from Singapore and barred from re-entering. It is not a case of them serving less than a year’s jail time and yet retaining their significant assets in Singapore.”
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3. What will happen to the surrendered assets?​

After the 10 foreigners were arrested, the police took control of assets such as properties, vehicles, luxury bags and watches, and perishable items like alcohol.
Mr Shanmugam said in a written parliamentary reply on May 7 that the police have spent $646,282 for the upkeep of the assets seized in this case. This is covered by the funds and assets forfeited.
The expenses included the cost of hiring experts to oversee the handling, upkeep and value preservation of the assets.
Luxury bags, for example, would need to be kept in a dry and cool environment to keep them from getting mouldy.
Lawyers told ST that a disposal inquiry will likely be held for the court to deal with any contesting claims to the assets, and to decide if the items will be destroyed or auctioned off.
A police spokesman said that with a forfeiture order, non-cash assets may be sold through auctions.
The proceeds of the sale, along with forfeited cash, will then be paid into the Consolidated Fund, which is like a bank account held by the Government.
The revenues of Singapore are paid into this fund, out of which government expenditures are made.
Members of the public can attend such auctions, and they will be subject to checks to ensure that their funds come from legitimate sources.

 

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S’pore’s alleged money launderers named alongside terrorist financiers, drug lords in Dubai probe​

The reports are based on a massive leak of records of hundreds of thousands of properties in Dubai. PHOTO: REUTERS

David Sun
Crime Correspondent

May 19, 2024

SINGAPORE - Several people linked to Singapore’s biggest case of money laundering have been named in an international media investigation known as the Dubai Unlocked project.
They were identified as having purchased millions of dollars worth of property in Dubai alongside terrorist financiers, drug lords and kleptocrats.
Dubai Unlocked involved journalists from more than 70 media outlets across the world, including The Straits Times, Al Jazeera, Forbes, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Times.
The reports are based on a massive leak of records of hundreds of thousands of properties in Dubai and information about their ownership or usage, mostly from 2020 and 2022.
The data was obtained by the Centre for Advanced Defence Studies, a non-profit organisation based in the United States, and shared with Norwegian financial outlet E24 and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which coordinated the investigations over the course of more than six months.
The leak revealed that former Afghan Parliament Speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani and his son Ajmal spent more than $15 million on real estate in Dubai.
Both were sanctioned in 2023 for misappropriating US government aid, allegedly siphoning off millions of dollars in American reconstruction funds after the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

Nikkei Asia reported on May 15 that the leak contained the names of several people linked to sanctioned terrorist organisations.
They include Adham Tabaja, an alleged member of terrorist group Hezbollah; Qatari-based Ali al-Banai, who is believed to be part of an international network helping to finance Hezbollah’s operations; and Ali Osseiran, who is allegedly facilitating money laundering for Hezbollah through art businesses.
They all own properties in Dubai, including Ali Osseiran, who has a unit in Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper.

The Rolling Stone on May 14 identified several drug lords among those named in the leak.
It reported that Asadullah Khalid, a drug lord and war criminal, had purchased a home in Dubai. The former Afghan government official also owns a villa there, which he rented out for tens of thousands of dollars every month.
Uruguayan drug cartel leader Sebastian Marset, who is wanted by the authorities across South America for drug trafficking, was also identified as a property owner.
The leak also revealed that a pair of cryptocurrency scammers, linked to the US$4 billion (S$5.38 billion) OneCoin fraud case, managed to liquidate their Dubai properties even though they were facing criminal charges in the US.
As part of the Dubai Unlocked project, ST reported on May 17 that money laundering accused Su Jianfeng had allegedly worked with a Singapore-based businessman to sell properties in Dubai worth tens of millions of dollars to foreigners in Singapore.

Checks by ST found that he owned 12 properties in Dubai, valued at around $21.4 million. He currently faces a total of 12 charges.
Lin Baoying, another person linked to the money laundering case who faces three charges, was found to own a villa in Dubai valued around $9.5 million.
Convicted money launderer Su Haijin, who was sentenced to 14 months’ jail by the Singapore courts in April, owns 11 units spanning the entire 58th floor of the Grande Downtown, a luxury condominium that offers unobstructed views of the Burj Khalifa.
Several others, who similarly own entire floors of apartments in the same building, lived in Singapore until recently. They left the country around the time the 10 foreigners linked to the $3 billion money laundering case were arrested.
Officials from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) rubbished the reports in the Khaleej Times on May 15. The Emirati broadsheet quoted an unnamed official who said that the UAE is committed to fighting money laundering. The official pointed out that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had taken the UAE off its grey list in February 2024.
The FATF, which is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, places jurisdictions on the grey list if they are working to resolve “strategic deficiencies within agreed timeframes”.
These countries are subject to increased monitoring by the watchdog.

In response to queries from OCCRP, the UAE Embassy in Oslo said it is committed to safeguarding the integrity of the global financial system.
“The UAE takes its role in protecting the integrity of the global financial system extremely seriously,” the embassy said.
“In its ongoing hunt of global criminals, the UAE is working closely with international partners to interrupt and prevent all forms of illegal finance.”
Mr Hamid Al Zaabi, director-general of the UAE’s Executive Office of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing, was in Singapore in November 2023 with a delegation of Emirati authorities.
He told ST in an interview then that he saw it as a positive thing when the UAE was placed on the FATF grey list in 2022, as it led to better processes in the UAE.
Mr Al Zaabi’s office has not commented on the Dubai Unlocked project.

 

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$3b money laundering case: Only woman accused gets 7 new charges, wants early date to plead guilty​

Chinese national Lin Baoying, 44, now faces 10 charges, including one charge of perverting the course of justice. PHOTO: COURT DOCUMENTS

Nadine Chua

May 21, 2024

SINGAPORE – The sole woman accused in the $3 billion money laundering case was handed seven new charges on May 21, including for using forged documents and possessing benefits of criminal conduct.
Chinese national Lin Baoying, 44, now faces 10 charges, including one of perverting the course of justice.
Her lawyer Chew Kei-Jin told the court that he will be seeking a date for her to plead guilty.
When this was translated to Lin in Mandarin, she replied: “Yes, I hope it can be an early date.”
Aside from the seven new charges, two forgery charges handed to her in August 2023 were amended to using a forged document as a genuine one.
She was among 10 foreigners arrested that month following an islandwide raid led by the Commercial Affairs Department over what would turn out to be Singapore’s largest money laundering case.
On May 21, she was handed one new charge of forgery, two charges of using forged documents and four charges of possessing benefits of criminal conduct.

According to court documents, Lin allegedly engaged in a conspiracy with one Liu Kai and one Li Hongmin to commit forgery to cheat Bank Julius Baer & Co on or before Nov 24, 2020.
Separately, Lin allegedly submitted a forged document – purportedly an agreement for the sale of a property in Macau – to UOB Kay Hian, to justify a deposit of HK$7.5 million (S$1.2 million) into her account.
She also allegedly submitted a forged document, which she claimed was a loan agreement, to OCBC Bank to justify a deposit of HK$5 million into her account.

Aside from her seven new charges, the two forgery charges handed to her in August 2023 were amended to using a forged document as a genuine one. PHOTO: COURT DOCUMENTS
The other four new charges state that Lin allegedly possessed HK$209 million, which represented benefits of criminal conduct.
She has had more than $215 million in assets seized or frozen by the authorities.
This money laundering case has seen the seizure of assets, including luxury homes, cars, watches and bags, worth over $3 billion.

It was revealed in earlier court proceedings that Lin and one of those arrested in the raid, Zhang Ruijin, 45, were lovers and that they have known each other for more than a decade.
They were arrested in a bungalow on Pearl Island in Sentosa Cove.
Before her arrest, Lin lived on Sentosa with Zhang, while her 15-year-old daughter lived with a maid in Beach Road.
Lin calls Zhang her husband, though they are not officially married.
But in Zhang’s first court appearance the day after his arrest, he referred to Lin and said: “You can separate her crimes from me, we are just lovers... You can bail me out, but remand her.”
On April 30, he was sentenced to 15 months’ jail, the highest jail term meted out in the case so far. He pleaded guilty to one money laundering charge and two forgery charges.

Five others have been convicted. Su Wenqiang, Wang Baosen, Vang Shuiming, Su Haijin and Su Baolin were each jailed between 13 and 14 months.
The six men who were dealt with have each agreed to forfeit between $5.9 million and $180 million in assets to the state.
So far, over $541.9 million in assets has been forfeited by them.
Su Wenqiang and Wang were deported to Cambodia on May 6 after serving about 8½ months of their 13-month jail term.
Two more accused in the case are set to plead guilty soon.
Cambodian national Chen Qingyuan, who faces 10 charges, is expected to do so on May 23.
Cypriot national Wang Dehai is expected to plead guilty on June 13. He faces two money laundering charges.

 

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Police seize $530m in cash, assets from 2 men ST identified as being linked to money laundering case​

Businessmen Su Shuiming (left) and Su Shuijun have been placed on the wanted list in China. PHOTOS: ZHOUCUN, ZIBO CHINESE POLICE
Andrew Wong

May 22, 2024

SINGAPORE – More than $530 million in cash and assets, including 28 properties, have been issued with prohibition of disposal orders or seized from two foreigners who have fled the country.
The police said in a statement on May 22 that the men, aged 37 and 39 years old, are part of the $3 billion money laundering probe.
“Both men had left Singapore prior to the police’s investigations against them, and are currently not in Singapore,” the police said.
Although they did not identify the suspects, The Straits Times understands the individuals are businessmen Su Shuiming and Su Shuijun.
A report earlier in May by ST and the investigative journalism group Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) exposed the business and property holdings of the two China-born individuals who left Singapore abruptly in 2023.
The report revealed that Su Shuiming and Su Shuijun were placed on the wanted list in China just weeks after the August 2023 anti-money laundering operation in Singapore led to the arrest of 10 foreigners.
Company records in Britain show that Su Shuiming was born in February 1985, which would make him 39 years old in 2024, and Su Shuijun was born in December 1986, which means he is 37 years old.

ST contacted the police then to confirm that the men were linked to the case in Singapore, but a spokesman declined to say if they are involved in or assisting with any investigations in the Republic.
In their May 22 statement, the police said that they took control of about $530 million worth of assets belonging to the two men in late 2023.
They added that the items form part of the more than $3 billion worth of assets seized or issued with prohibition of disposal orders in the case.

“In relation to the 37-year-old man, the police had issued prohibition of disposal orders for nine properties, two vehicles and four country club memberships.
“The police had also frozen bank accounts with a total balance of more than $157 million, and seized about $93,000 in cash, and more than 200 pieces of jewellery, luxury bags and collectibles,” the statement added.
The police added that they issued prohibition of disposal orders for 19 properties, three vehicles and three country club memberships linked to the 39-year-old man.
“The police had also frozen bank accounts with a total balance of more than $145 million, and seized about $300,000 in cash, bottles of liquor and more than 60 pieces of jewellery, luxury bags, and watches,” they added.

Prohibition of disposal orders issued by the police prevent the assets from being disposed of during the investigations.
For real estate properties, the police said they will cause a caveat to be lodged in the Land Titles Registry against them.
“Unless the caveat is lifted, the transfer of the properties’ ownership and their sale cannot be completed. Generally, assets issued with prohibition orders will be dealt with by the courts when the case concludes,” the police said.

Dubai Unlocked​

Su Shuiming and Su Shuijun are among 74 suspects currently on the run from the authorities in China for their roles in a cross-border online gambling syndicate.
This is based on an updated notice in March from the Public Security Bureau in Zibo, China, which states that the suspects are staying abroad illegally.
In a report on May 16, ST and OCCRP revealed that Shuiming and Shuijun own more than $31 million in properties in Dubai.
They each own 11 units at the Grande Downtown, a luxury development directly opposite the Burj Khalifa. Su Shuiming bought the entire 66th floor of the Grande Downtown, while Su Shuijun bought all the units on the 68th floor.
The report also exposed the property holdings in Dubai of several others linked to the case in Singapore.
Cypriot national Su Haijin, who was convicted and sentenced to 14 months’ jail on April 4 after forfeiting about 95 per cent of his $174 million in assets in Singapore, owns the entire 58th floor of the same building.
The units are worth more than $15.4 million in total.
Cypriot national Chen Mulin owns 24 properties in Dubai worth more than $28 million, including the entire 67th floor of the Grande Downtown.

Chen, who was identified by the MInistry of Law as one of 24 known associates of the money launderers, shares his home address at Gramercy Park in Grange Road with Su Haijin, and Su Baolin’s wife, Ma Ning.
Su Baolin was sentenced to 14 months’ jail in April, after forfeiting about $65 million, or 90 per cent of his seized assets.
In Singapore, Su Shuiming, who holds passports from Cambodia and Cyprus, lived in a sprawling house in Fourth Avenue in Bukit Timah.

Su Shuiming’s registered address in Fourth Avenue remains occupied by a man who claims to be his employee. ST PHOTO: ANDREW WONG
Su Shuijun, who also holds passports from Cambodia and Cyprus, previously lived in a 27,000 sq ft good class bungalow in Queen Astrid Park.

Su Shuijun had lived in a good class bungalow in Queen Astrid Park, which has since been emptied out. ST PHOTO: ANDREW WONG
The police, in their statement on May 22, also said that investigations are ongoing against 15 other people who are not in Singapore.
They include Cambodian nationals Su Yongcan and Wang Huoqiang, who have had warrants of arrest and Interpol red notices issued against them.
Su Yongcan is the brother-in-law of Wang Dehai, one of the 10 foreigners arrested in the money laundering case, while Wang Huoqiang is Dehai’s cousin.
Cypriot national Wang Dehai, who is facing two money laundering charges, is expected to plead guilty on June 13.
ST understands that Su Binghai and Su Fuxiang, two foreign individuals identified in an earlier report as having fled the country amid the money laundering probe, are among the 15 people linked to the case.
In their statement, the police said they have been working with Interpol to issue red notices against some of the 15 individuals linked to the case.

 

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$3b money laundering case: 7th man jailed for 15 months, forfeiting $21.3m of assets to state​

Over $23 million worth of assets were seized from Cambodian national Chen Qingyuan. PHOTO: COURT DOCUMENTS
Wong Shiying and Nadine Chua

May 23, 2024

SINGAPORE – Cambodian national Chen Qingyuan, 34, who is wanted in China for fraud, was jailed for 15 months on May 23 over his role in Singapore’s largest money laundering case.
He was convicted of two money laundering charges and one forgery-related charge.
He is the first of the seven foreigners convicted so far to appear in court in person. The other six had attended court proceedings via video link.
Chen faced 10 charges in total, including four money laundering charges. The other six charges were forgery-related.
Of the over $23 million in assets seized from Chen after his arrest on Aug 15, 2023, about 90 per cent – or $21.3 million – will be forfeited to the state.
Nine other foreigners were arrested that day when the police conducted simultaneous raids islandwide in a money laundering probe that saw more than $3 billion in assets seized.
Chen’s forfeited assets include over $8 million in bank accounts, more than $1 million in luxury watches and $2.2 million in cars.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Foo Shi Hao said some of Chen’s assets were held in the name of his girlfriend, Wang Qiujiao, including a Standard Chartered Bank account with Chen’s funds.
Between September 2019 and July 2021, Chen arranged to transfer over $3.1 million to the bank account.
When the bank inquired about his source of funds, Chen conspired with his girlfriend to submit a forged income certificate to the bank.

The document showed that his girlfriend was employed by a company in China named Sunshine Coast, and made around 800,000 yuan (S$152,000) from April 2010 to April 2012.
Chen paid a contact of his about $40 to create the fake certificate.
The prosecution said in the course of investigations that Wang Qiujiao admitted she was not employed by Sunshine Coast.
Chen’s two money laundering charges that were proceeded with for sentencing involved his possession of over $614,750 in cash and a white Range Rover worth over $1 million that were reasonably suspected of being criminal benefits.


DPP Foo said Chen was involved in remote gambling offences abroad and had transferred these proceeds to Singapore.
He added: “The accused claimed that the properties were traceable to other legitimate sources of income, such as the repayment of loans, or from the sale of online gaming items.
“However, he was unable to substantiate any of his claims with more details or evidence.”
The DPP sought between 15 and 17 months’ jail for Chen, saying a suitably lengthy custodial term is necessary to deter others from money laundering and abusing Singapore’s banking infrastructure.
He added that the proposed sentence is consistent with the jail terms meted out to the suspects convicted earlier in the case.

Defence lawyer Gary Low sought 14 months’ jail for his client, saying many of the offenders in this case were sentenced to spend 14 months behind bars, and Chen’s case “doesn’t rank anywhere near the top”.
The lawyer added that Chen made various economic and social contributions after arriving in Singapore in September 2019.
Mr Low said Chen was actively involved in charity, including being the deputy chairman of Lions Club of Singapore Mandarin, and regularly participated in organising social activities for the elderly.
“This showed a genuine desire by him to do good and indicates his capacity for reform,” he added.

The other six men convicted in this case are Vang Shuiming, Su Wenqiang, Su Haijin, Wang Baosen, Su Baolin and Zhang Ruijin. They were each sentenced to between 13 and 15 months’ jail.
They each agreed to forfeit between $5.9 million and $180 million in assets to the state.
Including the assets Chen has agreed to forfeit, over $560 million in assets have been forfeited by them.
Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen were deported to Cambodia on May 6 after serving about 8½ months of their 13-month jail term.
The only woman in the group, Chinese national Lin Baoying, is set to plead guilty on May 30. She faces 10 charges, including one of perverting the course of justice.
Cypriot national Wang Dehai is also expected to plead guilty, on June 13. He faces two money laundering charges.

 

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$3b money laundering case: Su Jianfeng handed 2 new charges, faces 14 in total​

Su Jianfeng now faces 14 charges in total in Singapore’s biggest money laundering case involving more than $3 billion in assets. ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA

Wong Shiying

May 29, 2024

SINGAPORE – Barely two weeks after being given six new forgery charges, money laundering accused Su Jianfeng was on May 29 handed two more charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
His first new charge alleges that he conspired with Lim Jun Da and Shi Haitao to falsely declare to the Ministry of Manpower’s Controller of Work Passes that Shi would be hired by An Xing Technology as a data administrator when Su knew this was not true.
His second new charge accuses him of hiring Shi as a personal chef without a valid work pass.
Su, a 37-year-old Vanuatu national, now faces 14 charges in total in Singapore’s biggest money laundering case involving more than $3 billion in assets.
His other 12 charges comprise eight counts of forgery and four counts of money laundering.
Su was handed six forgery charges on May 16, which accused him of submitting a number of property sales contracts to two banks, knowing they were false. This was allegedly to deceive the banks into believing he had legitimate sources of wealth.
Two of the contracts were for the sale of DC The Grand property number 5101 and property number 3009 to one Li Bao. Su submitted them on or around Sept 30, 2022, to Maybank Singapore.

A third contract was for the sale of Residences_E2 property number 2302 to a Lin Zhenghu. It was given to Maybank on or around March 17, 2021.
Su claimed that deposits of $1,029,970 and $969,970 made by a firm named Tuo Xin You were proceeds from the sale of the property.
A fourth contract was for Address Boulevard property number 3101, which was purportedly sold to a Wong Hiuluen. Su allegedly submitted the document to OCBC Bank on or around Jan 5, 2021.

A fifth contract was for the sale of Emaar Square Bldg 2 property number 408 to a Zhou Weihong. The document was handed to OCBC on or around July 7, 2021.
Su claimed that a deposit of $2,999,980 made by Wecord Rich Trading Company was from the sale of the property.
Su also submitted two loan agreements to OCBC on or around Nov 26, 2020, that he allegedly knew were forged.
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One was purportedly for a loan of $2 million between him and a company, Sheng Big, and the other was for a $2.5 million loan between him and another company, Sheng Yu.
He allegedly submitted the documents to deceive the bank into believing that various deposits from the two companies were delivered under loan agreements with them.
Su was handed two forgery charges in February relating to several sets of forged annual reports of a Chinese company, which were submitted as genuine documents to Standard Chartered Bank and Bank of Singapore.
This was purportedly done to deceive the banks into believing that one Chen Qiuyan had legitimate sources of wealth.
Chen was identified in a Ministry of Law notice, sent out in August 2023 to dealers of precious metals and stones, to flag suspicious transactions.
Su’s money laundering charges accuse him of possessing illegal proceeds from unlawful remote gambling.

The authorities found $17 million in three safe deposit boxes and $550,903 in cash after he was arrested in August 2023 at a good class bungalow in Third Avenue near Bukit Timah.
Su is set to plead guilty on June 6.
Seven foreigners – Su Wenqiang, Su Haijin, Su Baolin, Wang Baosen, Vang Shuiming, Zhang Ruijin and Chen Qingyuan – were sentenced to between 13 and 15 months’ jail each.
They have forfeited over $563.2 million in assets to the state so far.
The cases of three other foreigners, including Su Jianfeng, are before the courts.

 

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$3b money laundering case: Accused Su Jianfeng handed 6 new forgery charges; faces 12 charges in all​

The 36-year-old Vanuatu national now faces 12 charges in total. ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA

Samuel Devaraj

May 17, 2024

SINGAPORE – Money laundering accused Su Jianfeng was on May 16 handed six new charges of forgery for the purpose of cheating, nine months after his arrest in August 2023 in a major police operation.
The 36-year-old Vanuatu national now faces 12 charges in total in the case involving more than $3 billion in assets.
According to court documents, Su submitted a number of property sales contracts to two banks, knowing they were false. This was allegedly done to deceive the banks into believing he had legitimate sources of wealth.
Two of the contracts were for the sale of DC The Grand Property Number 5101 and Property Number 3009 to one Li Bao. Su submitted them on or around Sept 30, 2022, to Maybank Singapore.
A third contract was for the sale of Residences_E2 Property Number 2302 to a Lin Zhenghu. It was given to Maybank on or around March 17, 2021.
Su claimed deposits of $1,029,970 and $969,970 made by a firm named Tuo Xin You were proceeds from the sale of the property.
A fourth contract was for Address Boulevard Property Number 3101, which was purportedly sold to a Wong Hiuluen.

Su allegedly submitted the document to OCBC Bank on or around Jan 5, 2021.
A fifth contract was for the sale of Emaar Square Bldg 2 Property Number 408 to a Zhou Weihong.
The document was handed to OCBC on or around July 7, 2021.

Su claimed a deposit of $2,999,980 made by Wecord Rich Trading Company was from the sale of the property.
Details of the properties were not mentioned in court documents, but Su previously told investigators that he made his money by working as a property agent in Dubai.
The court heard that Su also submitted two loan agreements to OCBC on or around Nov 26, 2020, that he allegedly knew were forged.

One was purportedly for a loan of $2 million between him and a company, Sheng Big, and another was for a $2.5 million loan between him and another company, Sheng Yu.
According to court documents, he submitted the documents to deceive the bank into believing that various deposits from the two companies were delivered under loan agreements with them.
Su was first handed four charges in August 2023, for allegedly possessing illegal proceeds from unlawful remote gambling.
The authorities found $17 million in three safe deposit boxes and $550,903 in cash after he was arrested at a good class bungalow in Third Avenue near Bukit Timah.
He was then handed two forgery charges in February. They relate to several sets of forged annual reports of a Chinese company, which were submitted as genuine documents to Standard Chartered Bank and Bank of Singapore.

This was purportedly done to deceive the banks into believing that one Chen Qiuyan had legitimate sources of wealth.
Chen was identified in a Ministry of Law notice sent out in August 2023 to dealers of precious metals and stones, to flag for suspicious transactions.
The Straits Times reported in September 2023 that Chen’s registered address is a unit at 8 Saint Thomas, a condominium in River Valley.
Business records show Su shared the same address.

 

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Philippine Senate probes mayor linked to couple in Singapore’s $3b money laundering case​

Ms Alice Guo, the mayor of Bamban town in the Philippines, is the subject of a Senate probe over her alleged ties to criminal activities. PHOTO: MAYOR ALICE LEAL GUO/FACEBOOK

Christine Tan

May 27, 2024

SINGAPORE - The mayor of a small town in the Philippines, who is said to own 16 vehicles and a helicopter, has been linked to two foreigners arrested in Singapore’s $3 billion money laundering case.
The revelation emerged when Ms Alice Guo, mayor of Bamban in Tarlac, a province north of Manila, was investigated by the Senate of the Philippines over her alleged involvement in illegal scam hubs.
Ms Guo had incorporated Baofu Land Development in 2019 with Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying, as well as Philippine national Rachel Joan Malonzo Carreon and Cypriot national Huang Zhiyang.
According to media reports, the company built a compound in Bamban that allegedly housed illegal scam operations.
Chinese national Zhang, 45, who also holds a passport issued by Saint Kitts and Nevis, was sentenced to 15 months’ jail after he pleaded guilty in Singapore on April 30 to money laundering and forgery charges.

Zhang Ruijin was sentenced to 15 months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to money laundering and forgery charges. PHOTO: COURT DOCUMENTS
His lover and fellow Chinese national Lin, 44, who also holds a passport from Dominica, faces 10 charges, including the use of forged documents and possession of benefits of criminal conduct.
She is expected to plead guilty on May 30.

Lin Baoying faces 10 charges, including the use of forged documents and possession of benefits of criminal conduct. PHOTO: COURT DOCUMENTS
Ms Guo’s links to the couple were revealed in Securities and Exchange Commission documents obtained by Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is leading the probe.
According to Inquirer.net reports on the Senate hearing, the 38-year-old denied knowing her business partners’ criminal activities.
Ms Guo said she divested from the company in 2022 before she ran for mayor, and added that she had never spoken to the couple.

She said she only ever communicated with Huang, who is now a fugitive wanted by the Philippines’ Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission.
According to media reports, the 10ha compound developed by Baofu Land Development sits behind the Bamban Municipal Hall.
It houses 36 structures including barracks, villas, an Olympic-size swimming pool and a secret tunnel that connects the villas.
Hongsheng Gaming Technology Incorporated, which was located in the compound, allegedly operated fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scams under the guise of a legitimate Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo).
It was raided by the authorities in February 2023.

About 875 people were arrested, and the authorities found love-scam scripts and mobile phones that were allegedly used for scam operations.
There were also reports of people being illegally detained within the compound.
During the Senate hearing, Ms Guo could not answer questions about her family history and upbringing.
She described herself as the “love child” of a Chinese man and a Filipino woman who had worked as his housemaid.
She said she grew up in isolation in the family’s pig farm, as she was ashamed of being an illegitimate child.
Her birth certificate was issued when she was 17 years old, and she registered to vote in Bamban only in 2021, one year before she ran for mayor.
Senators at the hearing had questioned if Ms Guo was a Philippine national as she claimed.
On May 16, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr supported the Senate’s investigation and fuelled doubts over Ms Guo’s identity.
“I know all the politicians in Tarlac, and no one knows her. We’re wondering where she came from,” he said.
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Multiple cars​

Documents obtained by Senator Hontiveros showed Ms Guo owned a helicopter and 16 vehicles.
Photos posted on social media platforms revealed she had also entered a McLaren 620R in a car show contest.
Ms Guo admitted to owning the helicopter in an interview with Philippine TV channel ABS-CBN. She said she had planned on using it as an air taxi, but the business idea did not take off.
She said she had since sold the helicopter.
Ms Guo said the vehicles do not belong to her and are part of her car dealership business. As for the McLaren, she claimed she had borrowed it from a friend for the car show.
The Mayor is also said to have a liking for luxury goods, with reports of her being spotted with a Bulgari Serpenti Viper necklace worth 11.9 million pesos (S$276,000), a Louis Vuitton silk shirt and a Chanel bag.

Apart from documents showing she owned a helicopter and 16 vehicles, Mayor Alice Guo is said to have a liking for luxury goods. PHOTOS: MAYOR ALICE LEAL GUO/FACEBOOK
Senator Hontiveros took aim at Ms Guo’s alleged criminal links in a press release, writing: “Is this why she can afford her extravagant lifestyle? Could her purchases of helicopters and luxury cars come from criminals and fugitives?”
Ms Guo has repeatedly denied allegations that she is involved in criminal operations, saying: “I’m not connected with nor a protector or coddler of Pogos. I have no knowledge about their operations.”
However, the authorities on May 20 decided to strip her of control of the Philippine National Police within her jurisdiction.
Pogos, which operate online casino games for customers outside the country, have been a source of controversy in the Philippines, where they contributed around $1.3 billion to the economy in 2022.
Although they are registered and licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, some lawmakers claim the licensed online gambling operators are a front for scam hubs that exploit human trafficking victims.
Several of the foreigners arrested in Singapore’s $3 billion money laundering case have links to the Philippines and online gambling.
Convicted money launderers Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen, both 32, had worked for illegal remote gambling businesses based in the Philippines that targeted people in China.
Vang Shuiming, who was also convicted, told investigators that his funds came from gambling winnings and real estate investments in the Philippines.

As for Zhang, affidavits submitted in court showed he had overseas assets worth about $41 million, including $37.2 million worth of shares in a Philippine real estate development company, which was not named.
At his sentencing, Zhang agreed to forfeit about $118 million, or around 90 per cent of his assets, to the state. This included properties worth about $51 million, two Rolls-Royce vehicles and golf club memberships.
Lin reportedly owns a property in the Philippines worth $5.7 million. More than $215 million in assets linked to her were seized or frozen by the authorities.

 

[True Believer]

Since the SG Govt is so hellbent on attracting ultra-wealthy foreigners to set up family offices here to hide their money from the taxman back home, they must not make it too difficult a task to do so. How can SG be marketed as a tax haven for rich foreigners, then subject them to too many checks when our authorities want them to park their $$$ here? It is counter intuitive to do so.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Cheetahs and casinos: Links between environmental crimes and money laundering in Singapore​

How dirty money linked to the illegal wildlife trade can be laundered through Singapore was highlighted in a risk assessment report published on May 29. PHOTO: AFP

Christine Tan

May 31, 2024

SINGAPORE – In 2020, a bank in Singapore found that one of its customers had paid $130,000 to a South African supplier for 11 cheetahs.
Though the animals were transported directly from the source country to the destination country and never transited through Singapore, the money passed through the customer’s bank account here.
The bank, which was not named by the authorities, filed a suspicious transaction report (STR) and terminated the customer relationship.
This example of how dirty money linked to the illegal wildlife trade can be laundered through Singapore was highlighted in a risk assessment report linking environmental crimes and money laundering.
It was published on May 29 by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
This is the first time a national risk assessment has been conducted for this area of concern.
In the 29-page report, the authorities said: “Environmental crimes and the laundering of its proceeds are not victimless crimes. They disrupt and harm our environment and ecosystem, with far-reaching and long-term impact on current and future generations.”

The Financial Action Task Force said in July 2021 that such crimes generate about US$110 billion (S$148.5 billion) to US$281 billion in criminal gains every year.
The report noted that non-governmental organisations have identified Singapore to be a transit country for environmental crimes and dirty money linked to it, given its geographical location and status as a financial centre.
The report highlighted money laundering threats from three environmental crimes that Singapore is particularly exposed to. They comprise the illegal wildlife trade, illegal logging and waste trafficking.

The report noted that the Singapore authorities had carried out more illegal wildlife trade seizures and enforcement actions from 2015 to 2019.
In 2018, about 3.5 tonnes of elephant tusks worth around $3.3 million were detected in a sea container arriving in Singapore, en route from Nigeria to Vietnam. The authorities found the tusks hidden among sacks of groundnuts.
In 2019, the Republic seized the biggest single haul of pangolin scales globally in recent years – 12.9 tonnes of the animal parts worth $52.3 million.
In October 2022, Singapore made its largest seizure of rhinoceros horns, weighing 34.7kg and worth $1.2 million.
The South African man who tried to smuggle them was sentenced to two years’ jail in January. This is the heaviest sentence meted out to date for a case involving the smuggling of wildlife parts.
He was also charged with facilitating another person in the control of his benefits from criminal conduct, but was acquitted by the High Court.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers and MHA are studying the grounds of decision to assess if changes are needed to strengthen Singapore’s laws.
The report also noted that banks and remittance agents are at high risk of being misused to launder proceeds from environmental crimes.
It found that banks are aware of their risks and have controls for investigation of suspicious customers, such as in the case of the person who bought the 11 cheetahs.
But they face challenges in detecting such illicit funds from environmental crimes because the money received by a middleman such as a logistics company can appear legitimate at first.
Criminals can also misuse remittance agents to process large numbers of cross-border transactions quickly.
The report noted that casinos are another channel for dirty money. It said the casino industry is largely cash-based, and cash can be used to buy casino chips, which can be accepted as an alternative to money.

In Singapore, casinos have filed STRs relating to information about environmental crimes linked to their customers, said the report.
It added that, so far, there have been no known cases of illicit funds from environmental crimes being passed through casinos in Singapore.
But in Laos, a criminal network used a casino to traffic pangolins, tigers, rhinoceroses and elephants.
Overall, Singapore was assessed to be at medium-low risk for money laundering linked to environmental crimes, said the report.
It added that Singapore intends to expand the scope of legislation by 2024 to enable the authorities to prosecute money laundering linked to environmental crimes overseas.
Activities could include illegal logging and waste trafficking. Waste trafficking is the illegal export or import of waste such as metal scraps and lead batteries.
Currently, the authorities are unable to prosecute illegal money flows from such environmental crimes as they are not stated offences under Singapore’s laws.
In their joint press statement, MHA, MAS and MOF said: “Singapore’s law enforcement agencies and supervisory agencies will continue to stay vigilant and take appropriate measures to mitigate the risks identified in this (assessment).”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Only woman in $3 billion money laundering case jailed 15 months​

Lin Baoying faced 10 charges and pleaded guilty to three charges. PHOTO: COURT DOCUMENTS
Wong Shiying and Samuel Devaraj

May 30, 2024

SINGAPORE - Chinese national Lin Baoying, the only woman to be charged in Singapore’s largest money laundering case, was sentenced to 15 months’ jail on May 30.
Lin, 44, faced 10 charges and pleaded guilty to three. They comprised two charges of submitting a forged document to a bank and one money laundering charge.
Seven other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Of the 10 foreigners arrested in August 2023 following islandwide raids at luxury homes here led by the Commercial Affairs Department, Lin, who has passports from Turkey, Cambodia and Dominica, is the eighth person to be sentenced.
She had more than $170.5 million in assets that included cash, vehicles, properties and cryptocurrency seized after her arrest. About 90 per cent – or $153 million – will be forfeited to the state.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Gan Ee Kiat said Lin had submitted forged documents to two banks to explain the sources of multimillion-dollar deposits made in 2020.
Lin said the deposits were to buy property and make investments in Singapore. She was here on an Employment Pass at the time and did not have verifiable sources of income.

Between Aug 24 and Oct 23 in 2020, several deposits totalling more than HK$122 million (S$21 million) were made to her CIMB account by Leosen Trade, a Hong Kong company.
When the bank asked her to explain the source of the funds, she submitted a forged document showing she had sold a property in Macau.
Lin submitted another forged document to UOB Kay Hian to explain a deposit of HK$7.5 million that was made to her securities trading account by Beiyin, another Hong Kong company, on Aug 11, 2020.

In both instances, DPP Gan said Lin had instructed her assistant to obtain fake documents to satisfy the banks’ queries as she could not explain the source of her funds.
The HK$7.5 million in her UOB Kay Hian account was the subject of Lin’s money laundering charge, which was proceeded with for sentencing.
She admitted that the money was not from the sale of a Macau property, but rather from an unregistered gambling operation overseas that she ran from 2015 to 2019.

DPP Gan said the police have reasons to suspect that her involvement in the gambling operation was illegal, and her funds were the benefits of criminal conduct.
He asked the court to sentence Lin to between 15 and 17 months’ jail, saying she used intermediaries and forged documents to avoid scrutiny from financial institutions in Singapore.
DPP Gan said such sophisticated means made the offences difficult to detect and investigate, and that deterrence is needed so that such offences do not become more prevalent.
He added that while the offences did not cause immediate financial loss, there was cost incurred from the investigations carried out by the banks and the police.
He said the banks’ reputations were also negatively affected by this episode.
Lin was represented by a team of lawyers including Mr Chew Kei-Jin.
He asked the court to sentence Lin to not more than 13 months’ jail, citing the sentences meted out to other offenders in the case.

Addressing the point on the cost to the financial institutions, Mr Chew said the banks are supposed to do their checks, and they did not carry them out particularly for this case.
He added that Lin is a single mother of two children, and had come to Singapore to build a life for them.
On how the case had impacted her daughter, the lawyer said: “She has stopped attending school and that is something which is a direct result of what is happening to her mother.”
DPP Gan said that, out of the eight who have pleaded guilty, only the amount laundered by Zhang Ruijin is comparable to Lin’s case, and that the respective sums involving the other offenders are substantially lower.
It was revealed in earlier court proceedings that Lin and Zhang were lovers and have known each other for more than a decade.

It was revealed in earlier court proceedings that Lin Baoying and Zhang Ruijin (above) were lovers and have known each other for more than a decade. PHOTO: COURT DOCUMENTS
Lin calls Zhang her husband, though they are not officially married.
But in Zhang’s first court appearance the day after his arrest, he referred to Lin and said: “You can separate her crimes from me, we are just lovers... You can bail me out, but remand her.”
Following Lin’s case, more than $713 million in assets have been forfeited by the eight foreigners convicted so far.
Su Wenqiang, Su Haijin, Su Baolin, Wang Baosen, Vang Shuiming, Zhang Ruijin and Chen Qingyuan were sentenced to between 13 and 15 months’ jail each.
Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen were deported to Cambodia on May 6 after serving about 8½ months of their 13-month jail term.
The remaining two plan to plead guilty next week.
Su Jianfeng is set to plead guilty on June 6, while Wang Dehai intends to do so on June 7.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Three more men in $3 billion money laundering case deported to Cambodia, Japan​

(From left) Su Baolin, Su Haijin and Vang Shuiming were deported from Singapore on May 25, May 28 and June 1 respectively. PHOTOS: COURT DOCUMENTS

Nadine Chua

Jun 02, 2024

SINGAPORE – Three more men convicted in Singapore’s largest money laundering case have been deported, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on June 2.
Cambodian national Su Baolin, 42, and Cypriot national Su Haijin, 41, were deported to Cambodia on May 25 and 28, respectively.
Turkish national Vang Shuiming, 43, was deported to Japan on June 1.
According to court documents, Vang holds passports from China, Vanuatu and Turkey.
ICA had said in April that the “location of deportation (of the convicts) is dependent on the admissibility of the foreigner based on his or her valid passport”.
All three men, who are originally from Fujian, China, are barred from re-entering Singapore.
So far, five of the eight convicted money launderers in the case have been deported.

An ICA spokesman told The Straits Times: “Specific to the $3 billion money laundering case, those who had been convicted were deported on the earliest possible flight upon finishing their jail sentence.”
ICA added that they were escorted directly from the prison to the airport for deportation and were not permitted to return to their residence to collect their belongings.
On May 6, Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen, both 32, were the first two men to be deported. They were deported to Cambodia after serving about 8½ months of their 13-month jail terms.

Su Haijin jumped from the second-floor balcony of a good class bungalow during a police raid and admitted to one charge of resisting arrest and two money laundering charges.
Su Baolin pleaded guilty to three charges – two for money laundering and one for abetting false representations made to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.
Su Baolin and Su Haijin were each sentenced to 14 months’ jail in April.
Vang was sentenced to 13 months and six weeks’ jail in May after admitting to two counts of money laundering and one count of submitting a forged document to a bank.

The three men’s sentences were backdated to the date of their arrest on Aug 15, 2023. They each served around 9½ months of their jail terms.
They were among the 10 arrested in August 2023 when the police conducted simultaneous raids islandwide in a money laundering probe that saw more than $3 billion in assets seized.
So far, seven men and one woman involved in the money laundering case have been convicted and sentenced. They were each jailed between 13 and 15 months.
Vanuatu national Su Jianfeng, 36, who faces 14 charges, is expected to plead guilty on June 6.
Cypriot national Wang Dehai, 35, who faces two money laundering charges, is expected to plead guilty on June 7.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Convicts in $3b money laundering case deported on earliest possible flights: ICA​

(Clockwise from top left) Su Haijin, Vang Shuiming, Wang Baosen, Su Wenqiang and Su Baolin are the first few to be deported. PHOTOS: COURT DOCUMENTS, CHINA POLICE

Nadine Chua

Jun 03, 2024


SINGAPORE – Those convicted in the $3 billion money laundering case were deported on the earliest possible flights upon completing their jail sentence, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on June 2.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times on the process of deportation for those convicted and jailed in Singapore’s largest money laundering case, an ICA spokesman said: “They were escorted directly from the prison to the airport for deportation and were not permitted to return to their residence to collect their belongings.”
The agency said it utilises multi-modal biometrics scanning technology for immigration clearance at Singapore’s checkpoints.
“This enables us to detect deported individuals even if they attempt to re-enter Singapore using another identity or passport,” said ICA, adding that it is unable to provide details to its deportation procedures due to operational sensitivities.
Five of the eight foreigners convicted in the $3b money laundering case have been deported.
Cambodian national Su Baolin, 42, and Cypriot national Su Haijin, 41, were deported to Cambodia on May 25 and 28, respectively. They were each sentenced to 14 months’ jail in April.
Turkish national Vang Shuiming, 43, who was sentenced to 13 months and six weeks’ jail in May, was deported to Japan on June 1.

The three men each served around 9½ months of their jail terms. They had been in remand since their arrest on Aug 15, 2023.
Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen, both 32, were the first two men to be deported on May 6.
Both men, who have Cambodian passports, were deported to Cambodia after serving about 8½ months of their 13-month jail terms.
All five men, who are originally from Fujian, China, are barred from re-entering Singapore.
ICA said a person who has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for an offence in Singapore may be deemed to be an undesirable immigrant and is “liable to be removed from Singapore” under the provisions of the Immigration Act.
“The presence of a foreigner may also be undesirable from a public interest perspective, for example, if their presence in Singapore threatens the safety and security of the local community,” said ICA.
The agency added that undesirable foreigners who have been deported and barred from re-entering Singapore will need to seek consent of the Controller of Immigration if they wish to re-enter the country.
So far, seven men and one woman involved in the money laundering case have been convicted and sentenced. They were each jailed between 13 and 15 months.
Vanuatu national Su Jianfeng, 36, who faces 14 charges, is expected to plead guilty on June 6.
Cypriot national Wang Dehai, 35, who faces two money laundering charges, is expected to plead guilty on June 7.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Last $3b money laundering accused set to plead guilty handed 4 more charges, including faking job titles​

Cypriot national Wang Dehai received four additional charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act on June 4. ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA

Christine Tan

Jun 04, 2024

SINGAPORE – The last person in Singapore’s largest money laundering case scheduled to plead guilty has been handed new charges alleging he faked his employment as a brand manager and a business consultant.
Cypriot national Wang Dehai, 35, was back in court on June 4 to receive four additional charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
Three charges were for allegedly faking job titles between 2018 and 2022, and one charge was for allegedly hiring a housekeeper without a valid work pass.
Wang, who has been in remand for more than nine months since his arrest on Aug 15, 2023, will be the last person in the case to plead guilty on June 7.
According to the new charges, between 2018 and 2022, Wang conspired with Su Yongcan and one Phua Cheng Wan to make three false statements relating to his applications for a work pass.
Phua, in his capacity as the director of a firm called Craft Digital, allegedly authorised his human resource department to apply for an employment pass on Wang’s behalf.
These applications stated that Wang would be employed as a brand manager or a business consultant of the firm, when he had no intention to work there.

Su is Wang’s brother-in-law. Su, along with Wang’s cousin Wang Huoqiang, have left Singapore. Warrants of arrest and Interpol red notices have been issued against both men.
The fourth new charge claims that Wang Dehai, with his wife Su Caihuang, hired a housekeeper for his condominium apartment at The Marq on Paterson Hill, near Orchard Road, without a valid work pass from February 2019 to August 2023.
On June 4, a prosecutor from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in court that Wang Dehai’s plead-guilty mention will go ahead as scheduled, and the four new charges will be taken into consideration during sentencing.

He previously faced two money laundering charges, and now faces six charges in total.
It is alleged that he used proceeds from an illegal online gambling service – which is based in the Philippines and is for customers in China – to buy The Marq apartment for $23 million in November 2019.
He also allegedly possessed $2.3 million from illegal remote gambling offences.
Wang Dehai was placed on China’s wanted list in 2017 for alleged links to an illegal gambling gang. In the same notice, two other men in the money laundering case – Su Jianfeng and Su Wenqiang – were also named as major suspects.
Wang Dehai was among 10 foreigners arrested in August 2023 in a money laundering probe that saw more than $3 billion in assets seized.

Of these, seven men and one woman have each been jailed for between 13 and 15 months.
Five of them have been deported.
On May 6, Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen, both 32, were deported to Cambodia after serving about 8½ months of their 13-month jail terms.
Cambodian national Su Baolin, 42, and Cypriot national Su Haijin, 41, were deported to Cambodia on May 25 and 28, respectively.
Turkish national Vang Shuiming, 43, was deported to Japan on June 1.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) had said in April that the “location of deportation (of the convicts) is dependent on the admissibility of the foreigner based on his or her valid passport”.
On June 2, ICA said the latest three to be deported were escorted directly from the prison to the airport for deportation and were not permitted to return to their residences to collect their belongings.
All five deported men, who are originally from Fujian, China, cannot re-enter Singapore.
Vanuatu national Su Jianfeng, 36, the other accused whose case is before the courts, faces 14 charges and is expected to plead guilty on June 6.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

$3b money laundering probe widens: 17 other foreigners linked to bulk of cash, assets seized​

The police will maintain the prohibition against disposal and custody of the seized assets until the assets are dealt with by the court at the conclusion of the case. PHOTOS: ST FILE, SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Nadine Chua

Jun 06, 2024

SINGAPORE - The $3 billion in cash and assets seized or issued with prohibition of disposal orders in Singapore’s largest money laundering case belonged to 27 individuals, and not just the 10 hauled to court on various charges.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police on June 5 said 17 other individuals are under investigation in relation to the case.
The police added that they will maintain the prohibition against disposal and custody of seized assets until the assets are dealt with by the court at the conclusion of the case.
Of the 10 foreigners arrested in a series of raids on Aug 15, 2023, eight have been convicted and sentenced to between 13 and 15 months’ jail each.
Two others – Su Jianfeng and Wang Dehai – are expected to plead guilty this week.
Based on court documents and affidavits, the 10 foreigners arrested had accounted for more than $900 million in cash and assets seized or forfeited to the state.
This means the 17 other individuals are linked to around $2.1 billion in cash and assets.

ST understands the suspects who fled the country amid the probe include Su Shuiming, 39, and Su Shuijun, 37.
More than $530 million in cash and assets, including 28 properties, were seized from both men after they fled the country.
The other suspects are Su Yongcan, 33, and Wang Huoqiang, 29, who had Interpol Red Notices issued against them for money laundering offences, and Su Binghai and Su Fuxiang, who have both not been seen in Singapore since September 2023.

ST reported in December 2023 that Su Binghai left Singapore abruptly as the Commercial Affairs Department started digging into the network of relationships.
Su Binghai had business dealings both here and in Hong Kong with Wang Dehai, who faces money laundering charges and charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
He is expected to plead guilty on June 7.
Su Binghai and Su Fuxiang are shareholders of New Future Holdings, the firm that nominated Wang Dehai for his membership to Sentosa Golf Club.
ST understands Wang Bingang, who made millions as the founder of the Hongli gambling syndicate in China, is also among the 17 foreigners under investigation.
He was convicted in China in 2015 for being involved in a criminal organisation.

(Clockwise from top left) Su Shuiming, Su Shuijun, Su Yongcan, Wang Huoqiang, Su Binghai and Wang Bingang are among the 17 individuals who are on the run. PHOTOS: ZHOUCUN, ZIBO POLICE, SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE, THE PEAK
Wang Bingang’s cousin is Wang Baosen, who was sentenced to 13 months’ jail in April after admitting to two charges of money laundering.
As part of his plea offer, the 32-year-old forfeited his assets, worth around $8 million, to the state. He was deported to Cambodia in May and is barred from re-entering Singapore.
Four other money launderers who were convicted have also been deported after completing their jail terms.
They are Su Wenqiang, Su Baolin and Su Haijin, who were deported to Cambodia, and Vang Shuiming, who was deported to Japan.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Last man to enter plea in $3b money laundering case ‘not truly remorseful’: Prosecution​

Su Jianfeng's money laundering charge pertains to him possessing $550,903 in cash believed to be illicit benefits from his gambling offences. PHOTO: FIDU PROPERTIES
Wong Shiying and Andrew Wong

Jun 06, 2024

SINGAPORE The man who was last among the 10 suspects in the $3 billion money laundering case to indicate he wanted to plead guilty was on June 6 convicted of money laundering and forgery.
Vanuatu national Su Jianfeng, who pleaded guilty to two charges, has agreed to forfeit $178.9 million of his seized assets to the state.
Another 12 charges will be taken into consideration for his sentencing on June 10.
Su is the ninth person to be convicted in Singapore’s biggest money laundering case. His forfeited assets represent 95.5 per cent of the assets seized from him and his wife Chen Qiuyan.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Grace Teo said Su was involved in an illegal online gambling business based in the Philippines. He profited from helping with advertising, as well as managing the workers operating gambling websites that targeted punters in China.
The prosecution said Su joined the operation some time in 2013, initially working from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia before moving to Manila in the Philippines.
He moved to Singapore in August 2020 as he wanted his children to study here, said DPP Teo.

Su’s money laundering charge pertains to him possessing $550,903 in cash believed to be illicit benefits from his gambling offences. The cash was seized from a safe in his bedroom when he was arrested in August 2023.
As for the forgery charge, DPP Teo said Su had forged a property sale contract in March 2021 when he was asked by Maybank Singapore to explain the source of two deposits made into his account worth $1,029,970 and $969,970, respectively.
The forged document indicated he had sold a property around the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Seeking 17 to 18 months’ jail, DPP Edwin Soh said Su had laundered a total of $17.5 million in Singapore, which shows he is “not a small-time money launderer”.
He added that Su should not be given the full 30 per cent discount in sentencing for pleading guilty, as opposed to claiming trial, because he opted to do so only on May 24 after seeing the sentences meted out to the other eight offenders.
Su indicated that he wanted to plead guilty about four months after the first accused person in the case did so.

DPP Soh said: “This shows that the accused did not plead guilty and agree to forfeit his assets at the earliest opportunity as a true sign of contrition and remorse.
“He only did so after ascertaining that this course of action would lead to his timeous release from prison.”
DPP Soh added that because of the lateness of Su’s plea of guilt, considerable public resources were spent on his case.
This included the prosecution preparing a reply affidavit to an application Su and his wife had filed on April 9 for the release of at least $36,146 of their seized assets for their basic expenses. The application was withdrawn on May 23.
Su informed the court on May 6 that he wanted to contest his charges, and the prosecution was told to review evidence to decide which charges it wanted to proceed on for the trial. Su later changed his mind about claiming trial.
Senior counsel N. Sreenivasan sought 14 to 15 months’ jail for his client, saying Su forfeited more than 10 times the amount of money involved in his eight money laundering charges.

On Su being the last of the 10 foreigners to enter his plea, the lawyer said this should not be held against his client as the prosecution was not ready for the plea to be taken for more than nine months since Su’s arrest.
Mr Sreenivasan pointed out that Su pleaded guilty within three weeks of receiving six forgery charges on May 16.
As for Su’s involvement in illegal gambling operations, the lawyer said his client was not involved in any decision-making and acted on the instructions of his principal.
“His role was mainly to support the workers operating and maintaining the online remote gambling websites by providing daily requirements,” Mr Sreenivasan added.
The lawyer said Su’s forgery offence did not result in any individual or entity suffering revenue loss, adding that the document he forged was not one issued by a public authority.
More than $891 million in assets have been forfeited by the nine convicted foreigners so far.
Su Wenqiang, Su Haijin, Su Baolin, Wang Baosen, Vang Shuiming, Zhang Ruijin, Chen Qingyuan and Lin Baoying were sentenced to between 13 and 15 months’ jail each.
Four of them – Su Wenqiang, Wang Baosen, Su Baolin and Su Haijin – were deported to Cambodia between May 6 and May 28.
Vang Shuiming was deported to Japan on June 1.
Wang Dehai, the last accused person in the case, is set to plead guilty on June 7.